grocery

noun

gro·​cery ˈgrōs-rē 

ˈgrō-sə-;

ˈgrōsh-rē 

plural groceries

1

groceries plural : the food and supplies sold by a grocer

—usually singular in British usage

2

: a grocer's store

Examples of grocery in a Sentence

She stopped to pick up some groceries for supper.

Recent Examples on the Web

The study extended beyond grocery shopping and found purchases at fast-food restaurants, coffee shops and other limited-service eateries fell by about 8%. —Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025

Consumers who need to make a last-minute trip to the store to grab something for their gathering may be out of luck this year, as most grocery and retail chains will be closed on Christmas Day. —Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 25 Dec. 2025

The nonprofit has paid for their energy bills at home, plus their groceries and gas. —Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 25 Dec. 2025

Here’s what to know about store hours at major grocery chains across Texas. —Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English grocerye, grosery "merchandise sold by wholesalers, the Grocers' Company of London," borrowed from Anglo-French grocerie, groserie, from groser "wholesale dealer in preserved foods, spices, wine, etc." + -ie -y entry 2 — more at grocer

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing grocery

• do (one's) grocery shopping
• go grocery shopping
• grocery bag
• grocery cart
• grocery list
• grocery store

Video

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Kids Definition

grocery

noun

gro·​cery ˈgrōs-(ə-)rē 

plural groceries

1

plural : food sold by a grocer

went out to buy the groceries

2

: a grocer's store